The daily wage staffers at Nepal Electricity Authority Gaur Distribution Centre, who were laidoff, have started a hunger strike demanding reinstatement, on the premises of the NEA office in Rautahat from today. As many as 19 daily wagers who were serving at the distribution centre as meter readers, administration help, in the fuse department and those working in the section that oversees irregularities, were sacked due to the authority’s directive on February 12. “We had to resort to the protest as the concerned authority didn’t heed our pleas seeking reinstatement,” said the agitators. They warned they would continue their hunger strike until they were reinstated. “The authority sacked us because of an ill-intentioned directive from the central office. Staffers who were close to the office chief are continuing with their jobs. Hence, our protest is against the discrimination,” said Dipendra Sribastav, an agitator. Gaur Distribution Centre Chief Umesh Yadav said daily wage staffers, who were recruited illegitimately in April last year, were suspended from their jobs as per the directive of the central office. He said that the strike was meaningless.